


And death was his reward

by navvy



Series: Utúlie´n aure! Aiya Eldalie ar Atanatári, utúlie´n aure [2]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-10-28 06:31:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20774090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navvy/pseuds/navvy
Summary: Second Age in Middle Earth was the time of one of the most prosperous elven realms of history. Ereinion Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor, ruled fairly and successfully for over three thousand years. But there is evil at work even if hidden and all need to be prepared. The Valar are sending as much help as they are allowed and those at Middle Earth need not to make the same mistakes of the past, if anyone remember them with so many elves having left those shores.Arya, who had been known as Glorfindel in a literal previous life, has made her choice and it lies with her family. Anyone willing to harm them will have a fight at their hands.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a small vignette. I've decided to write something smaller, and I hope easier, so I thought to write some scenes at different times of the future, and see what it worked better to continue the story, as I'm not sure in what point I want to start. One of my problems with my previous tale is that I didn't plot where I wanted to go, only a few scenes I enjoyed writing and certain characters I wanted together. 
> 
> You don't need to read the previous one to understand this, only know that Arya is female!Glorfindel and she has returned and married Gil-galad. This is beyond that time in the Second Age, of course. I hope there some of you out there still interested in this, I always feel bad when an author ask for comments or kudos for their work, as I find difficult to write in english and as I, like many I think, go throught a lot of stories and even if I enjoy them, only left something in a few ones. Now I understand that feeling :), anyway if anyone left anything I will be grateful, If not I will take the critic and try to improve, thank you all that even clicked here.

Gil-galad entered his private rooms and stopped at once surprised. Elrond who had been walking behind him stopped also before knocking him over and looked inside for the reason of the abrupt halt, until he saw it, and couldn't help to smile. Inside the room, twirling around it playing a beautiful melody in a violin was Arya also known as Glorfindel, Queen of the Noldor, and Gil-galad's wife.

This wasn't such a strange sight to see, as Arya had been a professional performer at several phases of her life both in Aman and in Middle Earth, however it was touching to see the reason for this impromptu play. In front of the Queen, in a beautiful cradle, the two twins sons of the couple were looking in fascination to their mother, with the signs of tears still in their little faces. Tarannon and Taimavar, who had been feeling poorly of late with a grown spurt. Arya had clearly decided to distract them with her music, and as it had been not enough, she had started to dance to the melody, it was reminiscent of the night she had met their father. Obviously the twin sons of the King found the sign of her mother dancing like that as enchanting as his father had at the time. The song finished with a flourish and Arya made a bow to the twins happy clapping, Gil-galad crossed the room to his family and kissed his wife warmly at her smiling mouth, Elrond went to the twins to greet them and give the couple a few moments of privacy. 

He looked to the twins with a certain degree of nostalgia, as he had once been also a twin to another elf, his brother Elros, who had chosen the way of the Men and mortality, and was now buried at an island far away from Lindon. Their family tended twins, as this was the third set of them on Finwë's line. Before he could be lost to the memories, Arya came closer and hugged him warmly in greeting, looking back to the King, she asked:

"Not that I am not happy to see you both, but I expect you to be busy with Celebrimbor well into the night. Where is he, by the way? Why hasn't he come with you? If he has returned to the forge I will lock him up at the dungeons" - said the blonde with a dangerous look, Gil-galad laughed at the threat and said:

"He is coming, he only wanted to send a message to his people, some of the reports we have received have been dark indeed" - said the King. Arya nodded at this, having read the reports already. Having been the one to compile them, as with their children as young as they were, she couldn't travel and scout around as she had done at the past, and was now in charge of the planning and deploying of the realm's defence.

A soft knock sounded at the outer room. Elrond went to open the door, and he came back with a tall, dark-haired elf, dressed in reds and golds and with the well-know star-sigil at his chest. Arya went to hug him in greeting also, this unlikely kind and reserved descendant of the most unruly branch of Finwë's descendants.

"Welcome Celebrimbor, you look well. We were waiting for you to call for dinner, let's go to the dining room" - said Arya, trying to keep it light as her cousin looked drained and grey. Taking hold of his arm, both to lead him and to hold him if he stumbled, they lead the way into the private dining room where a table had been settled by order of Gil-galad while they greeted each other. Once they were all seated, the servants started to serve the first course of the food. Arya and Elrond kept a light conversation trying to light up their companions' dark mood. Only at the dessert, Celebrimbror seemed to awake of his thoughts, at least he had eaten with appetite all food served to him. Now, after Arya served the tea, he looked at her and asked:

"Do you remember Aman?" - questioned the dark-haired Fëanorion. Arya seemed taken aback by the question, but answered willingly

"I remember it, what is in your mind cousin?" - she remarked the relationship, trying to connect with the other elf. Celebrimbor seemed to fight with himself but at least continued:

"It had begun to drift away for me, the memories of it. My family, my father, they are clear still, but I can barely remember my mother, my childhood. I can not remember a time where I felt safe and fully happy" - said the Fëanorion. Arya and the rest looked to each other in alarm. Elrond raised from his seat closer to Celebrimbor. He asked for permission to touch him, and the older elf allowed it. He put his hand in his friend's head, gently, and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he opened them again and said:

"Your memories seem muted, like a veil is raised between you and them. It doesn't seem natural to me, Arya can you take a look?" - he asked to the Vanya who, as one of the few elves remaining in Middle Earth who had born in Aman, had mental skills beyond the younger generation. Arya looked to his cousin in acquiescence, Celebrimbor nodded in consent again. Arya reached her hand into her cousin's forehead and closed her eyes as Elrond had done. After a few moments, she opened them in shock and said:

"They are there, but disconnected somehow, and someone has been touching your mind repeatedly, a strong presence has been making a home in your head. Cousin, had you been in contact with someone strong in mental skills?" - asked the blonde worried. Gil-galad, who had kept hold of his wife's other hand and seen into Celebrimbor's mind through their bond, looked alarmed. By himself, he didn't have any special mental skills, having been born in Middle Earth and not having Elrond's special heritage, but through his marriage to Arya, and the strength and openness of their bond, he had the ability to see many things which had been beyond his reach before. He also could access to Arya's memories and experiences and that gave him information about Arya's previous experiences: this felt like the elves who had been tortured by Melkor and his Maias, and lived to tell the tale, such as Maedhros. Celebrimbor seemed to have spent all his energy by now, Gil-galad heard Arya's thought that whoever had done this to him, had tried to hide it and keep Celebrimbor from asking for help. His fight against this compulsion had left him drained. Arya had extended this mental link to Elrond also, and he agreed to the diagnostic, although he lacked Arya's experience, he was a gifted and dedicated healer, and Gil-galad respected his opinions greatly. 

Arya, seeing her cousin wavering in his seat, took hold of him and lead him to the side-room, which was planned as the Queen's room, but Arya never used it to sleep, only for storage or as a study when she needed some space or Gil-galad did. It had a full bed, which was useful in these occasions, and she led Celebrimbor there, and helped him to undress enough to get into the bed. Elrond and Gil-galad stayed at the doorstep leaving her to calm and relax the Fëanorian into rest and sleep there. Arya had been the only female of the family who still had had any relation with Fëanor's sons at Middle Earth, so she had become the only family female influence in Celebrimbor's life from the moment they arrived from the Ice, to the day she left for Gondolin. As such, she had a way to make Celebrimbor listen and rest, that Elrond and Gil-galad couldn't have done, so they left her to it. Once he was sleeping at the bed, Arya went back to the doorway and said lowly to the other two elves:

"We need to keep an eye on him. I don't like the state of his mind, and I'm worried what will happen with him in a relaxed state as sleep" - said the blonde, looking back to her cousin. Elrond offered immediately

"I will stay, you need to still take care of the twins at night and you both have responsibilities in the morning. If you excuse me from the meetings, I can stay the night and keep an eye on him" - said the perendhil. Gil-galad nodded in agreement and offered some sleep clothes to change into. Elrond agreed to this, and after receiving some of the King's sleeping clothes, the royal couple left to pick up the twins from the sitting room crib to their bedroom. 

Once on their chamber, Arya lowered the twins on the crib they kept next to their bed. They had been drifting into sleep by then and Arya sang them a lullaby from her own childhood. Both children's eyes began to lose focus on sleep. Gil-galad stood behind his wife, surrounding her with his arms, with his head resting over hers. Arya sunk into his chest happily, and once the lullaby was over, turned around and burred into it. They both stayed like that for a few minutes. At least, the King raised his head from hers, and looked down to his wife saying:

"You are the only one of us who has experience with the Ainur. We have only met Eönwë, and he didn't seem disposed to make any connections with any more elves, beyond those he already cherished." - said the King, and added - "It was clear in your mind that you didn't believe any elf was capable of this. It that you don't think any of us has the skill, or that you think we don't have the evil to do it?". Arya though it as neutrally as she could. 

"There is not that many of us capable of mental skills like that, only a few of the really old ones, and those born in Aman, and there is few of us left in Middle Earth, from the top of my head I can think of five names: Galadriel, Celebrimbor, Cirdan, Elrond and myself. And Elrond is a very special case, because of his ancestor Melian. Even Elros didn't have the skill, as far as I know, descending from the same. And you can add yourself, because of the skills you get because of our bond." - counted the blonde out loud, and then continued - "I don't want to think any of us capable of something like that, also there was a certain leftover in what I sensed in Celebrimbor mind, It didn't feel like one of us, it reminded me of Maitimo's mind after his experience at the hands of Morgoth". Gil-galad nodded to this, leading his wife towards the bed where they changed into sleeping clothes and settled into the mattress, well aware of their company next door. Lying side to side in the bed, Arya touched her forehead to Gil-galad and allowed his presence to unwind her and clean her from what she had watched at her cousin's mind. With the sleeping sounds of their children at their crib next to the bed, they both sank into sleep.


	2. A Marriage of convenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The life of Gil-galad is hanging from a thread, weakened by the enemies wiles, with a poison long lost in the elves memory. His only hope lies in the strength of a marriage bond. A bond he doesn't currently have. His friends search desperately for someone strong enough to save him, if any remains in Middle Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This an AU to my AU, and alternative first meeting for Arya and Gil-galad. I've always loved Arranged Marriages stories, as one of my all-time favourites is The Marriage Stone, who is not only a wonderful story but is masterfully written, its only defect is that is unfinished as right now, but hope is always there. So this would happen if Arya and company hadn't played at the festival and they didn't meet at that time.

While Arya and her companions entered the town, she watched the mood around her with curiosity and wariness. As this was Naatheas, the town nearer to the palace of the High King, it seemed that it reflected the fear and doom felt by the whole realm. Arya had also felt a great deal of pain when she heard the news of the attack in the High King and his poisoning. She had felt guilty of her weakness when she chose to stay away from her remaining family in Middle Earth. But it was, by then, too late to change it, even if she was to ride into the palace and offer her help, she feared that she wouldn't be trusted near the King. She would have tried to help anyway if she was a healer, but she had been a warrior, scout and even ambassador all her previous life. She knew, as all elves did, a certain amount of healing but it had never been her trade, and didn't believe she could offer any better than the best King's healers. Little she knew that much of the knowledge she had was lost when a great number of elves had crossed back to Aman at the end of the War. As it was, she felt that her presence wouldn't change a thing with the King, and only add confusion to the palace at best. 

Now, with her family, she was visiting the town near the palace to get the supplies they needed. As the realm had been waiting for the King recovery or final fate, they needed to keep moving and earn a living, as always. Arya and her foster family too. With the problems at the realm and the uncertainty of the fate of the Kingdom, their caravan had dissolved months ago. Arya and her family, with a few other elves and, curiously, most of the dwarves, had remained together, but they no longer had the ability to perform as before in their own tents, as the caravan only counted thirty members, and they now used small plazas and markets at the towns they visited. They also offered their service as crafters, carpenters, smiths... and sell the things they bought from distant lands they visited, or the meat and pelts they hunted in their travels. As it was, the money was tight but they were able to make a living. More worrisome was the incremental number of orcs, trolls and evil beasts they found in their way and even sometimes attacking the towns they visited. It was during one of these attacks that Arya discovered a new skill of hers that she had acquired between her death and rebirth. She was able to call a power that shined from inside her and made the evil creatures fly at her presence. She wasn't sure how she called it, and it was still a touch and go kind of thing, but it had come handy over the last few months. She had also forged swords and knives for her family and friends in the old way, strong and light, beautifully made and deadly, and that shined blue when the enemy was near. With all this, their company was better protected than most, and they were able to survive for now.

Having already made a deal with a carpenter for the planks they needed to repair their carts, Arya went back to the main part of the town. Entering the main plaza of Naatheas, where the town's market was situated, Arya looked at their own stalls, manned mostly by the dwarves as they liked to haggle and barter with the customers as opposed to the elves, who didn't enjoy it. So they happily handed over that responsibilities to them, gave them the items they had to sell while they took the duty to resupply. Their booths seemed to be doing well, having many people looking around and buying, as far as Arya could see. There were three of them, the one selling artsy objects such as jewelry, adornments and the like, the one with weaponry: swords, axes, knives and bows, and the one selling those things they hunted but didn't use, like smoked meat and pellets, that they usually interchanged for other supplies they couldn't find easily at the wild like vegetables or spices. They also bought many spices to sell around places where they were difficult to find.

While Arya was looking around at the market, someone else was entering from another of the streets which led into it. Dressed down in as informal clothes as he owned, and with a hood hiding his face, the High King of the Noldor had escaped his well-intentioned nurses and gone into the town with his faithful Captain who had, against his better judgment, agreed to accompany him. Rehtaro was as well known in those parts as the King, so he was also wearing a hood to hide his face, less he made people took a closer look to his companion. He would have preferred for the King to stay safe and cared at the palace, but having known him for a long time, he knew that the current situation was wearing him down and it would lead him to even more reckless choices if he wasn't given a small outlet. His family was well known to wander into enemy lands when left on their own. So he escorted him into the near town market, and hoped it would raise his spirits a bit, as he had been feeling depressed with the draining effects of the poison that they had been unable to eliminate fully. Not even the Lady Galadriel was able to heal him. She had admitted that she didn't know many of the poisons their people had suffered at the First Age, as she had dwelt many years protected at Melian's and Thingol's realm. This situation had frustrated her, and Rehtaro was sure that before long, she would know all that was to know about poisons and all the enemy weapons. Right now, however, that wasn't of any use to the King, and he still suffered from the weakening effects of this ailment. For a race so rarely sick, the elves had a hard time treating with infirmity, and their King may be one of the worst at it. He was still lucky to be alive, and it was probably because of his father blood and the heritage of those who had dwelt at the Blessed Lands, who had allowed him to resist the poison and survive long enough to fight it. At the fight which had ended with the King poisoned, three other elves had been injured with the same toxin. The King and one other were the only ones to survive it this far. Both had parents who had been Exiled. The other two were a Sinda and Sylvan mix, and a Sinda and Noldor descendant, but the Noldor had been a grandchild of one of the Exiles and the healers had speculated that the effect of the Blessed Land, whichever it was, had been more diluted. Or at least that was their hope, that the King had enough strength by his closer link, as his father Fingon had been born in Aman, to survive the infection. It had also been expressed as a solution to his ailment, to strengthen his health by a bond, such as marriage. The King had stopped that speculation from the source, he wouldn't marry an elleth, just to use her as a source of power. Even if that was even a possibility. Still, with his disagreement, some of his councillors had heard about the possible solution and conferred with the healers for an appropriated candidate. Much to their disappointment, the healers had confessed that for the bond to work as they hoped, the elleth should fulfil at least two conditions: to be one of the Exiles herself or very close descendant, such as a child of one, and to be skilled in mental links and ready to open her mind and fëa to her husband to share her strength. Only with all that, maybe she could help the King to have the fortitude to fight the sickness. Besides that, there was the small detail that such bonds were forever, and they would have a new Queen for the Realm, but even so, even the most ambitious councillors had doubted to push their daughters, nieces or other family to him so far.

Both elves walked around the market, the King discreetly watching the stalls and looking around the people, enjoying the atmosphere outside his sick room, where he had been locked up for far too long. He stopped at a crowed stand, where two dwarves sold beautiful weapons. He was surprised to see some elven swords, bows and knives among the wares. He looked in particular to a long curved, two-hands sword engraved with Tengwar. The style and engraving seemed old fashioned to him, but it looked unused. Even the elven swords, as durable as they were, showed a certain wear after a while, even if you could keep them at perfect working shape. He finally was forced to accept that it was a good copy of the ancient way of making swords, a superficial resemblance, but probably at the cost of being less effective to use in a fight. He was about to leave the stall, when Rehtaro exclaimed in surprise. Looking back, he saw what had made him call out. The sword he had been watching and several of the knives had started to glow a faint blue. The King had seen this behaviour in the weapons fashioned by the elves at the First Age, but the skill had been almost lost, as very few remained who were capable of it. His own sword was one fashioned like that too, and he checked it to see it glow also. However fascinating that was to see a potential smith gifted with the skill, the implications of the glow were much more pressing. He turned around to look for the source of the threat and being unable to see much with the press of people, reached a near tree and, making use of his Sinda heritage, climbed to see at the square. Even at that height, he didn't see any danger. Going down, he looked around for his Captain, who had been standing at the base of the tree, waiting for him, and told him:

"Rehtaro, we need to evacuate this people from here, the enemy must be close by and numerous if the glow is showing this clear but we can't see them" - said the King urgently. Rehtaro's loyalties were divided, on one hand he couldn't leave his King alone, much less with an enemy so close and as weakened as he was. On the other hand he, as the King Captain, was pledged to the safety of the Realm, and couldn't do nothing while an enemy was closing on them and innocent people was unaware of the danger. While he was debating with himself about the solution, the situation came to head by itself. Screams started to sound near one of the entrances to the plaza, while a troop of orcs invaded the town. Immediately, the chaos was around them while people tried to escape in the opposite direction, and some of the better trained or braver try to go to help. Gil-galad made his choice by drawing his sword and going in the direction of the screams. Rehtaro, out of choices but picking him up forcefully and drawing him away, went after him pulling out his own sword, trying to keep him in his sight. 

Arya also heard the screams, and after pulling her sword out a bit from the scabbard, allowed herself a few curses in Khuzdul. Sheathing her sword again, she chose the nearest building to climb and get a better look of the situation. Lucky for her, the house nearest to her was a bit taller than average and she was able to get a good look to the attack. At the entrance of the town, a group of at least fifty orcs and two trolls were fighting the hopelessly outnumbered guards. Arya used the roofs of the houses nearby to get closer, and once she was in position, drew her bow and started to shoot to the orcs and trolls, although these last ones would need closer attention than the one her arrows could give them. The orcs started to scream at her when they noticed her arrows, once they started to die at them. A group of them tried to reach her, first with their own bows, without success, and later trying to climb to her. This suited her because they got divided and distracted, and were of little danger to her as she could pick them one by one while they climbed. 

More elves entered into the scene from the town square to fight the attackers and made difficult for her to keep shooting without hitting one of them. So Arya finished the ones who were still trying to reach her, and using the banners which had indicated the market day, travelled down to the ground and straight into one of the trolls. This one was being attacked by two of the square elves, two hooded elves who were hitting it with their swords. But the thick skin of the creature had been able to resist their hits so far, and the harm done to it was slow. Arya figured that she would have little more success to this, and they needed to reach a weaker spot to really harm it. Usually, this kind of beast was fought with spears or crossbows, but none of them had them at hand at that moment. Even an axe would be a better weapon to harm it. Their swords needed them to get too close to the thing, and their hits, in consequence, were fast and shallow. Arya took her bow again, and once it face her direction, shot it in one of its eyes. The beast got enraged at the pain and they had to scram quickly out of its reach. One of the hooded elves crashed into her knocking them both out of the troll's path. Arya got a good look under the hood and, even if she had never seen him before, recognized him at once. His likeness to his grandfather was not obvious, as he had taken after his mother on his face's appearance, but the form of the eyes and the gaze was all Fingolfin's and Arya had been enough times at the receiving end of her uncle attention to espy the relationship. 

Gil-galad looked down to the elleth he had knocked out of the troll's way which, crazy with the pain inflicted by the arrow, started to aimlessly hit around. He had been aware of her when they arrived at the fight, and had approved her good sense and better aim who had lowered the number of enemies efficiently from her perch. However, they had needed to disturb her work as the orcs and trolls started to use the buildings to avoid her. Rehtaro and him started into the biggest troll, but they hadn't the appropriate weapons to really harm him, as their hits didn't pierce its skin too much and they couldn't get close enough to it to hit its head where it had its weaker spots. He could feel the weakness of his illness slow him down, although he didn't leave it to stop him. Rehtaro was hindered by his duty to protect him and wasn't willing to leave him alone to find a better way to harm the thing. Gil-galad was about to withdraw from the fight to allow his guard free hand to kill it when he sensed the elleth drop to the ground next to them. Remembering her bow, he was about to order her to shoot the beast when he saw her reach the same conclusion and go for her bow. He signalled his Captain to get ready and readied himself for the hit. If her arrow flew true, and giving what he had seen of her, he didn't doubt it, then the troll would be crazy by the pain, and they would need to get out of the way. Indeed, she waited for the right moment and hit bull's-eye with her arrow. The King noticed that she wouldn't have time to get out of the way and crashed into her, getting them both out of the harm's way. Now, momentarily out of breath, he looked down to her, and he felt his breath being taken away again. 

The first thing he noticed was her bright blue eyes, eyes he had only seen in two persons before: his own father Fingon and his cousin Galadriel, both of them born in Valinor at the Age of The Trees. His grandfather also had those eyes, he knew, as did all of the Exiles. He hadn't thought that any of those were unknown to him, but he had the evidence right under his nose, literally. The second thing he noticed was that those eyes belonged to an exotic beauty with a dazzling face, golden hair, and slim and attractive body with curves in the right places as he was able to appreciate at that very moment. He was starting to appreciate it far too much, and rising from his position, he drew her up too and looked around for the forgotten troll. Rehtaro, after seeing him out of the way and as safe as he could be at that situation, had gone after the injured troll to try and finish him off. With the troll's injured eye, he had been able to get closer and sink his sword, first into its belly and then at its throat. Now it was at its knees dying and Rehtaro plunged his sword in its skull, killing it finally. Although his word also broke at the effort.

He looked around noticing that the fight was almost over, the other troll had been killed by one of the guards' spears, and the orcs had been decimated by some of the others warriors who had come to help with the town's defence. All around them were the bodies of the creatures but, luckily, it seemed that none of the town residents had been killed or seriously harmed. The King started to relax to this and, at that moment, he felt like all the tiredness of his fight both now and over the days with the poisoning, crashed into him and tried to overwhelm him. He started to see black spots at his vision and lose the sensation on his legs, without being able to prevent it, he began to fall to the ground in a dead faint. 

Arya cursed again, and again for good measure when the King went and fainted into her arms. He was lucky that the Vanya was tall and strong or he would have hit the ground like a rock, as it was, Arya managed to catch him and lowered both into the ground in a more controlled fall. She kept the hood over his head and rested him at her lap, protecting him from the ground as best as she could while looking around trying to locate his companion, and guard, she suspected. He came running towards them with a panicked look. Now she was able to get a closer look to him, she saw he was a typical Noldor elf with dark hair and grey eyes on an attractive looking face. Arya would put him as older than the King, but not too old, maybe around five hundred years old. He knelt next to them: 

"Is he alright" - he asked breathlessly, looking down into the King's face trying to will him into consciousness. Arya watched the King's breath and pulse, and put her hand over his forehead searching his fëa, and giving him a bit of her strength, and said:

"He is as good as he can, weakened as he is, it is a miracle he didn't faint during the fight. The family stubbornness at work, I suppose. It was too much for a moment, but he is already becoming aware I deem" - answered the blonde, putting her hand away while the King opened his eyes. He looked around dazzled and looking into her eyes he asked her:

"Who are you?" - Arya smiled to this and answered evasively:

"I'm no one important at this moment, Your Majesty. We need to get you back to the palace, it is clear that you are not feeling as strong as you thought." - said the blonde, adding - "We should get you out of sight before some else recognize you, do you think you can stand up?". Gil-galad took stock of himself at that moment, he felt tired but curiously less scattered than he had felt of late, he looked to the blonde in suspicion at this but she returned an innocent look, maybe too innocent like she was daring him to complain about feeling too good, when he had been saying all this time that he was just fine. Gil-galad nodded in compliance and with Rehtaro's and Arya's help, raised from the ground. Once they were all on their feet, they moved to a near alley to keep out of sight and started to argue how they would return to the castle. Rehtaro was reluctant to leave the King alone, or with Arya as he didn't know her. Arya kept outside of this argument, as she perfectly understood Rehtaro's position and only wanted to be of help before leaving again to look for her family and check they were alright after the attack. At this juncture, as the King and Captain seemed to have reached an impasse, she said:

"Captain, I understand how you are feeling, and I only want to be of help and send you both off to the safety of the palace as soon as possible, do you think I could go and fetch your horses for you so you don't need to leave the King alone or trusting him with me?" - proposed the blonde while looking around, checking if anyone seemed to be paying attention to them. Rehtaro seemed sheepish to be called out on his suspicion. Arya waved this away and insisted - "I'm not offended, You don't know me and your responsibility is clear, even more taking into account this attack. Over fifty orcs and two trolls? How did they reach this town, not two leagues from the castle, without your patrols stopping them or at least seeing them coming? I can't believe that you would allow the King here if there was a sighting of this kind of trouble around." - Arya reasoned out loud. Both King and Captain, who had been concentrated at the situation itself and no the implications so far, seemed gradually more alarmed. Arya who had been thinking out loud as well, and had reached the conclusions while she talked, seemed to reach a decision and, with all the authority she had possessed once upon a time, decided - "I will go for the horses, you stay to protect the King, here, you sword has gotten broken at the troll's skull, isn't it? Take mine. I will be right back, give me the token to retrieve the horses" - Rehtaro answered automatically to this authority and gave her the token which marked the horses as theirs, and a description of them to be safer. He took the beautiful scabbard and sword in return, surprised by the quality of the weapon, as neither him nor the King had been able to see it up until now. Arya took off for the town's stables before they could question her on it.

Rehtaro and Gil-galad looked after her and then to the sword in astonishment, it had the quality of the swords they had seen at the stall with the dwarves. Actually, the King was sure that it belonged to the same smith, and seeing as the blonde had the characteristic bright eyes of those who had been born at Aman, the conclusion seemed clear. Rehtaro said what they were both thinking:

"She is Aman born. Where has she come from? I thought that most of those had returned to Aman or died at the War. The few left are here at the Court, or we at least have heard of them, such as the Lady Galadriel." - said the Captain, still examining the borrowed sword. He passed it over to the King in response to his gesture. Gil-galad looked over the weapon in wonder. 

"This is the true deal. It is priceless, as so few of those able to make them are left. Most of them are working with Celebrimbor, but even with his teachings, the skill to do this is not for everyone. Do you think that this elleth is the smith or that there is another of them running around without us knowing?" - asked the King, returning the sword reluctantly to the Captain. Rehtaro seemed to think the question, looking around like a troop of Aman-born elves would present themselves to them:

"I would say that she is the one, as it seems unlikely enough for one had escaped our notice, much less two." - answered the Captain. At that moment, Arya returned with their horses, and a third, clearly hers, on tow.

"Here you go, you should be leaving as soon as possible. The Major is heading this way and he will know you if he sees you. He seems pretty sharp as far as I can tell" - said the blonde, passing the reins to the Captain and King, and keeping hold of her own horse. Rehtaro made to return the sword but Arya waved it away - "Keep it, yours is broken, it is a good sword and it will serve you well on your way back and further on if you wish, I can get another, or make it if needed. It is not as embellished as yours was, but it is as deathly as I could make it." - said the blonde while mounting her own horse. Having the confirmation of her being the smith, and surprised by the generosity of the gift, and the attitude of the blonde warrior, who had given away a priceless sword as it was nothing, neither King or Captain wanted her out of their sight. Rehtaro said:

"It is an invaluable gift, and much better sword than mine was, or any I have back at the palace. It is made as the First Age weapons, isn't it? Few smith are capable of creating swords this way anymore" - said the Captain fastening the sword to his waist. Arya seemed surprised at his words and answered thoughtfully:

"I didn't realize that we had lost so much." - she looked to the King sword and he showed her his own sword. Arya seemed surprised and exclaimed - "That's Fingon sword! Curvo's work, Maedhros gave it to him during the reconciliation" - said the blonde. Gil-galad seemed surprised also, to have his sword made by one of the Feanorians and that this unknown elleth would know this much, and was as casual when referring to his father and cousins. The King was more and more convinced that he couldn't leave her go away, and Rehtaro seemed to agree and said:

"Miss, I would ask you to come back with us. Not only you would be further protection for the King, as you have shown yourself a capable fighter, but you have skills that are sorely needed and we would like to know how you are here and where you have been all this time. " - said the Captain. Thinking not only of the weapons she would know how to make, but of the healers' proposition which had been discarded as impossible, because no elleth had the skills they needed to heal the King, until now maybe. Arya seemed grave at this and divided as what to do. She looked back to the town, torn between her new and former duties. Gil-galad, seemed to understand that she had people who would miss her and said:

"We will send a messenger to your family and tell them where to find you. But please Miss, return with us" - asked the King. He had been reluctant to marry someone only to be healed, but after months without much progress and the fate of the Realm at risk, he was starting to change his mind. Also, after meeting this blonde warrior-elleth, he was not feeling as unwilling to consider the option as before. 

Arya seemed to conclude something herself and nodded her head in consent. She felt that more than it was being said was going to be expected from her, but she had felt guilty for staying away before, even if she didn't believe that she would have made any difference. Now she was being offered the chance to make a different choice. She decided to trust fate once again and see what would come from this. Nudging her horse, she followed King and Captain back to the palace.


	3. Not a Cinderella tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil-galad is looking for a wife, or at least his Councilors are looking a wife for him. His agreement seemed almost irrelevant. They had their work cut out for them. After his attack, five years ago, Gil-galad had lost much of his former charm. He was physically and mentally scarred by the terrible poisons, and tortures done to him by the orc band which captured him. Any elleth able to stand his touch would be unique at the very least. He only wanted the best for his people and the Realm. Some thought that a wife was a part of it, and he no longer had the will to fight it, if they were able to find someone who would be willing to tie themselves to him, he would be only, at the very least, curious to meet her.

The High King of the Noldor looked to the party guests from his advantage spot, above them at the balcony presiding the ballroom. Some of the guests looked at him from the corner of their eyes, and a few even made eye contact for a few seconds, but most averted their stare quickly. Elrond had always argued that the damage done to him wasn't so bad and that it had faded notably as the time passed, but the King had many mirrors and even if he didn't, his subjects' reactions such as the ones this night were as good mirror as any to him. As a King, he couldn't afford to allow vanity or fear to keep him away from his duties and his people, and those less used to his deformity had a hard time hiding their emotions. 

Disgusted with himself for having allowed this ridiculous party to celebrate, he left the balcony for one of the terraces at the side. He was at the coastal town which dwelled under the shadow of his castle. As an excuse for his counsellors to invite as many single elleth as they could find at the Realm, they had wanted to celebrate the King's 'recovery' and his conception day. The Mayor of the town had offered to host that party in his honour on the town's Hall. The King had been happy to escape the responsibility to host himself the party as he would have been forced into attendance the whole night. As it was, he could slip away for a while now, even being the guest of honour. He went into one of the side terraces, they were empty as it was the middle of the winter, and the winds and cold of the sea were cutting like a knife. Gil-galad enjoyed the tranquillity despite the cold, and preferred that, to make small talk with elves who wouldn't look him in the face, or even worse, try to dance with an elleth who would be testing themselves to see if they could stand his touch and the aspect of his face up close. 

At the small balcony, he looked towards the near sea in awe. As one of the Exiles, his father had always loved and respected the sea even if it divided him from his home. Gil-galad had inherited that love from Fingon but had learned to enjoy the waters from his foster father, Cirdan the ship-maker. He had lived most of his infancy at the island of Balar and was a fair mariner himself, if he hadn't taken the Crown, he would have been happy to travel around the coast, meeting new people and new lands. As it was, the Crown passed to him after his uncle's death, and he had done the best he could with it. 

Looking now to the sea, he spied a figure at the distance on the shore. Surprised, he looked closer to them trying to identify them and see what they were doing. The night fog and sea mist made it hard to see. After a few minutes, he could no longer resist the wish to know and looked around the balcony for a way to go down to the ground. He was on the first floor at the moment, and the house was surrounded by trees, so he made use of his Sinda heritage and use one of them to escape the house. He crossed the town to the beach where he had seen the figure and, once he reached it, he was able to see that it was an elleth who was dancing at the music of her violin and to the beat marked by the waves of the ocean. Gil-galad stood a few paces away trying not to disturb the lovely dance. Now he was closer, he was able to make out more of her features: she was taller than average although not taller than him, slim but strong, with very long hair down below her waist in a blond-golden hue as he had barely seen before. He had thought from the balcony that she was Sinda because of her light hair, but now he was closer he realized that her hair was golden blonde not silver as the Sinda. That was another mystery as that gold-hue belonged to those of Vanya blood, and there was few at Middle Earth, even before the War. He couldn't see her face well enough, trying not to distract her, but he glimpsed a few hints that she was remarkably beautiful. Her movements on the dance were smooth and skilled, she moved like the ocean was talking to her. The music was a reminder or other lands, she had the skill of the older Bards to transmit her emotions and even images through her music. Gil-galad saw a glimpse of a white shore with a white city behind, whose description he had heard from his father long ago. 

He would have kept listening to her until the end of Arda, but the violinist ended her song and dance at least, going into her knees before the sea with her head bowed. She seemed unaware or uncaring of her audience and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. The King was embarrassed of having intruded at such a moment, but felt unable to leave now, and went next to her, crouching down without touching her but close enough for it. He raised his hand and put it on her shoulder. The blonde sprang up in surprise, taking out a long knife from an arm-sheath and they both ended upright face-to-face to each other. Her knife ended under his neck in a faster-than-the-eye movement and they looked at each other paralyzed. The elleth looked him over quickly and her only reaction to his scars was a minute widening of her eyes. She took on his rich clothes and small circlet and seemed to recognize him at last, although she didn't lower the knife of its position:

"Your Majesty, I didn't expect anyone to come to this beach tonight, much less you. Why were you spying on me?" - asked the blonde coolly at the monarch. The King was surprised by the lack of reaction to his injuries. Stronger elves had stepped back from him when seeing him this close. Now that he was able to see her face clearly, he realized two things: she was as beautiful as she hinted at distance and she had the bright eyes of the Exiles. He was even more surprised by this, as those were scarce at these shores after the War, and he didn't think that there would be any of them unknown to him. He answered her question eyeing the knife under his chin that she hadn't lowered down.

"I saw you from the Town Hall, and wanted to see your dance from up close. I apologize for the intrusion but I have never seen someone playing and dancing like that before. I didn't want to intrude on your grief but I couldn't stay away after seeing it, please miss, you shouldn't be alone feeling as you do, is there anyone I can summon here to help you?" - asked the King. The violinist seemed to decide that the knife was unnecessary and lowered it, hiding it again in her arm-sheath. To the King question, she denied with her head and said:

"There is none in this shores, your Majesty who could help me. Or anywhere else for what it matters, you can't change the past or your actions and that's the way it is. You don't need to worry about me, I can handle it, this was only a moment of weakness. I have always loved the Sea, but now it's a source of both happiness and pain as it divides me from my family. This is a small ritual I made every year at this season any time I'm close to the shore." - said the blonde dismissingly and continued - "But you truly shouldn't be here, are you not supposed to be at a Gala in your honour right now? My foster-sisters would be disappointed if they can't dance with you there" - said the violinist curiously, putting her pain aside with this new distraction, as she wasn't someone who allowed despair to take hold of her for long. She shook off the sand from her clothes, and went to a small case on top of a rock in the sand and stored her violin there, shouldering the case then and turning back to the King. 

Now she was this close, he was able to notice more about her appearance, she was wearing a white and gold flowing dress, beautifully made, the sleeves were opened at the elbow which left the arm-sheaths within easy reach but hidden. Her hair was flowing loosely but with small braids weaved with colourful ribbons and beads. The braids looked familiar but he couldn't place them. She had been barefoot, but now she had put a pair of smooth boots. All in all, she wouldn't look amiss at the gala he had just left, that actually put a question on his mind.

"I was at the gala, I needed a break and then I saw you. But that remembers me, you say that your foster sisters are at the gala, why are you not there? I thought that all were invited to it, and single ladies were particularly encouraged to assist. Or maybe I'm presuming too much and you are married?" - asked the King, disappointed at the thought even if he barely wanted to admit it to himself. Arya shook with merriment and said:

"I'm not married, but I didn't want to assist such an event. I never enjoyed them, it seems like things only change to stay the same. That kind of events are like an open market, but with people instead of animals. "- Gil-galad shot a surprised laugh at that - " I found them distasteful and more than a bit cynical. I don't believe that you or anyone could chose truly from a meeting made in front of so many, a few words and a dance in public and suddenly you found your perfect match. I have never enjoyed putting myself out there like I should be listing my best features, and no offence, but it's even worse with an unmarried Crowned Prince or King. Moreover, you are the first unmarried, and heirless!, King we got, I can't start to imagine the crazy in that Hall, I would prefer go back to the Ice than try my chances with that crow." - concluded the blonde. Gil-galad was almost bowed over with laughter at her words. Arya had enjoyed his reaction and overacted some of her opinions, miming a sword fight when talking about the mood of the Hall, to his utter enjoyment. Once he recovered his breath, and could talk again he said:

"Putting it like that I can only approve your actions. It is clear that you have the better end of the deal, staying here at the beach out of sight and reach of those crows" - he was still laughing at the situation such as Arya had painted it, and continued, more seriously -"But this is the most fun I had in all night and I wouldn't have met you if I didn't see you out there and decided to pursue you. So your theory has a flaw in it". Arya smiled at this, amused, and said:

"But it doesn't! it only confirms my theory. If we had met at the Gala, and dance a staid waltz. Do you think it would have been like this? We would probably exchanged a few uncomfortable words and move along the next dance, forgetting about each other within minutes. That is if your counsellors wouldn't have took a look at me and decided to keep me as far away from you as they could. That seems likely actually" - the blonde looked down to herself, from her dress still smudged with sand to her folkloric braids. Gil-galad looked at her also, from her laughing mouth to her animated eyes, shining with mirth, her pretty colourful ribbons and flowing dress, perfect for the dancing she had been doing. He denied with his head and said:

"I would have asked for an introduction the minute I caught sight of you. You are like no one else I have ever met. It would have been you the one who would have caught sight of me and ran the other way as everyone else, who is not coveting a pretty crown" - retorted the King, signalling to his scarred face. 

The blonde looked surprised at that, and took a few steps closer until she was within reaching distance. He was taller than her, so at that distance, she had to look up into the King's face. Once there, she reached with her hand and, after a brief node of acceptance of the King, when he realized her intentions, she softly touched the right side of his face where the scars were visible. She shook her head at him and without taking her hand from his face said:

"I heard that you had been hurt at an attack but I didn't know that the effects still lingered. I wouldn't run away from a few scars, nor would anyone with a lick of sense on their heads. You are brave and kind, and selfless. And we couldn't have a better King than you. And as an elleth, with or without a Crown, I would have been happy to dance all night with you, if you asked." - and trying to lighten up the serious mood, added - "although if you wanted something else from me you would have to convince me of your prospects. You, people, tend to go down in a blaze of glory, your father and grandfather made it spectacularly and, as good that sound for the ballads, I would only tie myself to someone who would fight tooth and nails to stay with me". Gil-galad took hold of her caressing hand and kissed it gallantly at that. For the first time since his attack, he started to feel hope for the future.

When Gil-galad and his escort had been attacked five years ago, by a party of orcs which had been smuggled in the heart of his realm at the betrayal of one of his councillors, only him and three of his escorts had survived the initial attack. His then Captain, Rehtaro, was one of the survivors but he didn't last the night as he had been poisoned in the fight. The orcs left him on the site of the attack knowing that he would be dead before daylight. The rest of them, they took through the caverns on the near cliffs to their lair. There, they tortured them, especially the King, with fire and whips and feeding them their food which was poisoning for the elves and other special poisons which burned them from inside. Gil-galad suspected that they had wanted to leave their mutilated bodies for his people to find and despair. 

But they didn't count in the loyalty of his Captain who, despite his death sentence, had followed them and then crept away for help and, with his dying breath, had been able to direct their rescuers to the cavern. Elrond had taken a contingent of soldiers and blazed through the cavern to rescue his cousin and King. And after, had expended weeks nursing him back from the brink of death. Of his two surviving escorts, only one of them had endured after their rescue, the other being lost to the poison. The aftermath of the attack was ten dead elves and two deeply scarred but surviving ones, the King among them. But the right side of his face had been burned (luckily his eyes had been spared), a part of his left leg was also scarred by burns, and some of his torso, and his back had whipping marks. Not so visible, but also there, was a deep weakness which lingered and made the King tired too often. The healers, including Elrond, had done their best but there was a limit on what they could do. Finally, one of them who remembered Maedhros' healing from a much longer torture, had unearthed some documents of his treatment. It had been discovered that, besides the strength which resided in those born in Aman, his bond to Gil-galad's own father had been the thing which had helped him to recover from his initial wounds. That was the moment that all that madness had started, as they believed that he could recover if he made a bond with an appropriate elleth. It was unlucky (or maybe lucky) for the King that the traits needed for the recovery weren't so easily found in Middle Earth, except for a few already married elleth such as his cousin Galadriel, or some incompatible matches such as Elrond. They loved each other dearly but saw each other almost like father and son, and that wouldn't create a marriage bond. So the Galas started, trying to unearth some hidden Luthiens or Aman born who had kept hidden all these years.... such as the violinist in front of him. Still, he had never thought that he would be lucky enough not only to find an elleth with those traits, but one who would be to his liking, and maybe him to hers.

He took the hand he had got hold off, to tuck into his arm, and asked

"Now we had already met, outside the constraints of the Gala, would you be so kind to accompany me back to it? Before all my guards and Elrond start to panic" - asked the King looking down to her with puppy eyes. Arya laughed at this and looked down to herself saying:

"The point stands that I'm not dressed for a Gala your Majesty"

"You look beautiful, trust me. If you feel that worried, we can sneak in and you can clean up a bit better" - offered the King in earnest, not wanting to lose this chance to know her better. Arya seemed torn at that, clearly aware that it wasn't only the sand which made her aspect unsuitable. Her dress could pass as it was ceremonial enough but her hair ribbons weren't appropriated to a Gala with Royalty. Still, she was as fascinated with this kind and impulsive King as he was with her, and that made her took the plunge and assent:

"Very well, but I will take your offer to sneak in, I need to redo my hair into something more appropriate. Even if I don't have any jewellery I can put a more suitable braids for the occasion." - negotiated the blonde. The King assented to this, already making plans to make a detour to his rooms to lending her a few adornments which he could already tell would look beautiful in her blonde tresses.

The two of them left the beach, walking to the Hall to sneak in. Feeling like mischievous children about to plan some prank.


End file.
